Comcast - OLN deal official

[Chadd 916]

Some of the details are very interesting.

The deal with Comcast goes beyond just television rights. Comcast will bring the NHL Network to cable systems in the United States, and provide on-demand game broadcasts and computer streaming of live games.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?id=133834

[Adam91 0]

Interesting. I don't get ESPN but I get OLN so it works for me.

[jjtt99 0]

Seems odd to have hockey on the Outdoor Life Network, but I guess they are moving indoors! Check out their site, they seem happy about it.

http://www.olntv.com/

or to the details:

http://www.olntv.com/nw/article/view/1215/...pl&UserDef=true

[Chadd 916]

Comcast will have the ability to carry and/or syndicate additional games on Comcast’s regional sports networks where it has the consent of the local team and team’s rights holder.

Sounds like I may be seeing a few more games on comcast-philly or comcast-washington. It makes sense to show an extra game that is essentially "free" instead of paying for other content.

[Rustybender 0]

“Comcast’s leadership and innovation in delivering integrated sports and other entertainment on HDTV, VOD and on the Internet is being met with rave reviews from our customers. We will use this experience to bring the NHL to hockey fans in ways that they have never seen before,†said Jeff Shell, President of Comcast Programming for Comcast Corporation.

Additional details about the OLN television schedule, hockey commentators, HDTV and VOD schedules will be released as details become available.

HDTV and Webcasts? Could be....

I am really stoked about this. I've said it before, OLN is a digital channel for me so even if it's not in HD I will be getting a much better picture than I could with ESPN. :D

I'd also like to point ot that the first game they broadcast will be Flyers vs. Rangers. The fact that it is not a Detroit game really drives home that this is not ESPN.

[jeffw 1]

• Round-the-clock coverage on the NHL Network, to be launched in the US in the future; and

• Comcast will have the ability to carry and/or syndicate additional games on Comcast’s regional sports networks where it has the consent of the local team and team’s rights holder.

mmmm NHL Network. B)

[MDE3 0]

I think Comcast will get a great surge from this contract..at least initially...For several reasons....first there is a lot of pent up hockey interest from hockey fans deprived of an entire season, from the events of the past year, and in spite of the doom and gloom attitude from ESPN and other media concerning the sport of hockey; second all the trades and personel changes that have followed this restructuring...there will be optimism for a lot of fans because "its' basically a whole new ball/puck game" for their teams where the old "status quo" has been tossed on the trash heap; and lastly the new rules will bring a lot of viewers intitially to see if the improvements live up to the hype....

The trick will be to sustain the interest...if a bunch of small market teams start getting very competitive, that success could reach out for extra grass root fan support in previously weak markets, if the "new rules game" lives up to half of the hype....the game excitement itself could help re-ignite a lot of interest in all markets..not the least of which are the television viewer markets; with the introductory season of three very hyped new rookies, coinciding with playing under what should be more forgiving rules for their style of play, a lot of fans may be picked up just for the "Lebron James" factor....watching to see how these rookies will do versus the hype. Lastly with their rights to sell "local market coverage" Comcast could provide more widespread television access to NHL hockey games than ever seen before.

I personally think Comcast has taken a wise gamble.....ESPN got involved with it's own self fullfilling prophecy....primarily because hockey has never been as friendly to selling time slots as the other major sports..due to the nature of the game itself.... so ESPN has done it's best to see hockey removed from the media horizon....simply because they can sell more time slots with "Texas Hold-em"

[CardinalHcky19 0]

thats good now theres even more channels to watch hockey on

[Chadd 916]

thats good now theres even more channels to watch hockey on

No, there aren't more channels. In fact, it's going to be one less since it was on ESPN and ESPN2 before and now it will only be on OLN now.

[MDE3 0]

I got the impression that games will also be covered on a local basis through rights sales to local networks..ie local Comcast coverages....correct me if this is an invalid impression.... as they were previously in the Philadelphia and New York regions (and possibly many others)...but I got the impression that there would be a concerted effort to market television game rights for local sale.

[Cavs019 702]

Doesn't affect me as I'll be getting Center Ice regardless. :D

[whbd18 0]

Doesn't affect me as I'll be getting Center Ice regardless.  :D

Same here Cavs ;)

800th

[hockeydude_49 0]

Does this mean no more NHL tonight on ESPN?

[Jason Allison 0]

hopefully that old prospector guy! the one that does the old timey gold mining show. he's hillarious!

[hockechamp14 0]

For anyone in new england, will NESN still carry bruins games? or will we get to see more fishing and deer hunting shows?!!! :P

[A_Steeves12 0]

For anyone in new england, will NESN still carry bruins games? or will we get to see more fishing and deer hunting shows?!!! :P

when i was in maine NESN had a fishing show on and they took Patrice Bergeron out fishing.

[Chadd 916]

Does this mean no more NHL tonight on ESPN?

According to John Buccigross ESPNews will be covering a lot of hockey on Thursday nights with Barry Melrose.